1. Field
A status information processor that receives an input of status information transmitted from an image forming apparatus to a computer and outputs the status information to an apparatus which is to be a destination of an output, and a data processing program product for use with the status information processor.
2. Related Art
When using a printer in a state connected to a computer, the practice of installing a program called a status monitor in the computer and monitoring the status of the printer with the status monitor has hitherto been followed (see, e.g., JP-A-2001-265546).
Utilization of the status monitor enables ascertainment of information regarding the status of the printer (hereinafter called “status information”); e.g., a printer cover being opened, occurrence of a medium jam, depletion of paper, or the like, on a computer screen. An operator of the computer can ascertain the status of the printer without going to the location where the printer is set.
A printer port utilized for connection with a printer is available in various schemes and protocols; e.g., a PARALLEL protocol (IEEE 1284), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) protocol, an IEEE 1394 protocol, and an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) protocol. Which protocol of port to use for connecting the printer to the computer is determined by specifications of the printer.
Data format of status information transmitted from a printer to a computer varies according to specifications of the printer. For example, some printers provide status information in the form of a character string (text data) whose contents are comprehensible for the user when the user glances at the information, and some other printers provide status information in the form of a binary digit string (binary data).
For these reasons, a related-art status monitor is configured to perform data processing in compliance with specifications of the printer to be monitored, on the premise that status information is transmitted in the form of a specific data format by way of a specific printer port.
However, For example, when the number of types of printer ports is “m” and the number of data formats of the status information is “n,” up to m-by-n status monitors are required. Status information having a data format differing from the existing “n” types of data formats is assumed to be newly added, and the number of types of printer ports is assumed to be “m”. Despite addition of status information of only one type of data format, a maximum of “m” types of status monitors corresponding to “m” types of printer ports must be newly prepared. For the reason, there has been a problem of development and manufacture of a status monitor involving consumption of considerable cost and amounts of time.
A port monitor that is made compatible with several types of ports with a single program is also available. Even in the case of such a port monitor, when the port monitor is connected to another printer having a port of a new protocol, another port monitor compatible with that port must be newly created.
Another problem is that several status monitor displays appear on the screen as the number of port monitors becomes greater.